Centrifugal



May "14, 1935. F. SCHAUM 2,001,550

' I CENTRIFUGAL' I Filed Jun 11, 1932 Patented May 14, 1935 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE Fletcher Works, Incorporated, Philadelphia, Pa., acorporation of Pennsylvania Original application July 27, 1929, SerialNo.

381,410. Divided and this application June 11,

1932, Serial No. 616,617

8 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in centrifugals or extractorsor other rotating bodies, hereinafter referred to as centrifugals, andhas for one of its objects the provision of a construction in which therotating parts need not be in balance, the structure being supported ona convex base resting on a curved or concave surface.

By reason of my improved construction the machine may be constructedwith an open top which makes it very convenient for loading andunloading. The machine can be set on the floor without providing anopening or pit below it and no suspension is necessary to preventvibrations set up in the machine from being transmitted to the building.

The drawing is a sectional elevational View of an embodiment of myinvention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, I designates the tub and 2 thebasket of my improved machine.

3 designates struts integral with the tub 1, these struts or supportsbeing provided with a common foot 4 having a convex or spherical surface5 bearing in the concave upper surface 6 of a member '1 which rests uponthe floor. The bearing thus provided which is concentric with the tubconstitutes the sole support for the tub and its associated mechanism.

The basket 2 is supported on and affixed to a shaft 8 supported inbearings 9 and I0 provided in the base I l of the tub I. The materialpassing through the sides of the basket 2 discharges through dischargeopening I2. I

I3 designates a drive motor rigidly secured to the side of the tub I.

The lower end of the drive shaft 8 projects below the bottom ll of thetub as shown at M terminating short of the tub bearing and carries apulley H: for a drive belt I6 driven from a pulley I! on the shaft ofthe motor l3.

It will be seen from the foregoing that my improved constructionprovides a machine in which the rotating part, to wit, the basket 2 andthe non-rotating part, to wit, the tub I, are mounted for slidingmovement in the bearing provided by the concave face 6 of the member I,and that this bearing is concentric with the basket 2 and is a portionof a sphere the center of which is on the axis of the basket and abovethe center of gravity of the loaded machine.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No.381,410, filed July 27, 1929.

What I claim is:

1. In a centrifugal machine the combination of a tub, a single slidingbearing therefor below the tub, and a rotatable basket within said tuband supported thereby, said bearing forming the sole support for saidtub and its associated mechanism.

2. In a centrifugal machine the combination of a tub, .a sphericalbearing for said tub, said bearing being below the tub in axialalignment therewith and concentric with the tub, and a basket mountedwithin the tub and supported 10 thereby and rotatable with respectthereto.

3. In a centrifugal machine, the combination of a nonrotatable tub, aplurality of struts carried by said tub, a curved foot common to all ofsaid struts, a curved bearing in which said foot is slidable and bywhich the tub is supported, a centrifugal basket within said tub, and ashaft mounted for rotation in the bottom of the tub and supporting saidbasket.

4. In a centrifugal machine, the combination of a non-rotatable tub, asliding bearing therefor, a centrifugal basket within said tub, a shaftextending through the bottom of said tub and secured to and supportingsaid basket, a drive pulley on the lower end of said shaft and directlyover said bearing, and a motor carried on the side of said tuboperatively connected to the lower end of said shaft to drive the shaftand said basket.

5. In a centrifugal machine, the combination of a tub, a drive shaftextending vertically of said tub and supported thereby, a basket withinsaid tub and rotatably supported by said shaft, a slidable bearingbeneath and supporting said tub and in alignment with said shaft, saidshaft terminating short of said bearing.

6. In a self-balancing machine of the open top type, the combination ofa tub, a basket mounted for rotation within the tub, and a singlesliding bearing concentric with the basket and constituting the solesupport of the tub.

7. In a centrifugal machine of the open top type, the combination of abasket, a tub supporting the basket, and a single sliding bearingsupporting the tub, said bearing being a portion of a sphere the centerof which is on the axis of 45 rotation of the basket above the center ofgravity of the loaded machine.

8. In a centrifugal machine of the open top type, the combination of atub, a rotatable basket within the tub and supported thereby, and asingle concentric sliding bearing of such shape that the bearing alonesufiices to maintain the basket substantially vertical, said bearingbeing the sole support of the tub.

FLETCHER SCHAUM.

